Apparatus for use in connection with two-for-one twisting machines for automatically changing bobbin units



Feb. 27, 1968 FRANZEN ET AL 3,370,412

APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH TWO-FORONE TWISTING MACHINES FOR AUTOMATICALLY CHANGING BOBBIN UNITS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19, 1966 HII Feb. 27, 1968 FRANZEN ET AL 3,370,412 APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH Two-F0R-oNE TWISTING MACHINES FOR AUTOMATICALLY CHANGING BOBBIN UNITS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19 1966 Feb. 27, 1968 FRANZEN ETAL 3,370,412

APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING MACHINES FOR AUTOMATICALLY CHANGING BOBBIN UNITS Filed Dec. 19 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ummm l 25 28a 25 57 58 59 28b 25 Feb. 27, 1968 FRANZEN ET AL 3,370,412

APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING MACHINES FOR AUTOMATICALLY CHANGING BOBBIN UNITS Filed Dec. 19 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent p 3,376,412 APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH TWO-FOR-QNE TWISTING MACHINES FOR AUTQMATICALLY CHANGING BOBBIN UNITS Gustav Franzen, Neel-sen, new Krefeid, Hans Zeiler,

Monchengladbach, and Klaus Nimtz, Krefeld, Germany, assignors tn Palitex Project-Company, GmbH, Krefeld, Germany Filed Dec. 19, 1%6, Ser. No. 602,877 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 24, 1965, P 38,426 12 Claims. (Cl. 57-53) With all textile machines, as for instance with spinning machines, winding machines, and twisting machines, efforts are being made to automate the work as far as possible in order to reduce the operating time and also to save operating personnel. Together with these efforts, it is also intended to improve the quality of the product, in particular the mechanisation intends to assure a greater uniformity in the quality of the product which will make it possble to employ unskilled labor for operating the machines. While with winding machines a considerable automation has already been obtained, with heretofore known two-forone twisting machines it is still necessary to employ operating personnel so that in case of a thread break the operator can at the respective twisting place knot the broken thread and replace empty bobbins by full bobbins and replace full bobbins by empty bobbins.

In order to reduce the time required for manual operations, it has previously been suggested to provide a preparing station for bobbin units which is designed as pneumatic threading device. While such a device reduces the time required for manual working steps, it does not bring about an automation of the remaining operations which heretofore were carried out manually.

Another previous suggestion is based on the fact prevailing with two-for-one twisting machines, namely that with this type of machines, in contrast to pure winding machines, a knotting of the thread is relatively seldom necessary. This is due to the fact that a rewinding from small units to large units does not take place and, moreover, no thread cleaning is efiected with causes considerable thread breaks. This old suggestion, therefore, does without an automatic knotting operation and instead provides steps which permit a common exchange of the bobbin and the winding sleeve for which purpose the bobbin and sleeve form an interconnected group from the start of the thread unwinding to the end thereof. More specifically, the just mentioned older suggestion provides that a bobbin carrier designed as bobbin pot is outside the twisting station provided with a feedng bobbin, and the thread being withdrawn from the feeding bobbin is passed through the hollow shank thereof onto the winding-up sleeve.

This method is carried out by changing devices movable on one side along the machine. These changing devices carry out the exchange of the groups comprising bobbin carriers with feed yarn bodies and winding-up sleeve. To this end, the exchanging device is equiped with a gripper which is movable in transverse and vertical direction with regard to the longitudinal axis of the machine. This gripper substitutes the group held in reserve for the group to be exchanged.

According to this heretofore known method, the operator must prepare the reserve group directly at the twisting station. The saving in time and work is due to the fact that at each twisting station where an exchange is required, a prepared replacement unit will automatically present itself for the exchange operation. Moreover, overlapping times are reduced which would otherwise be unavoidable 3,370,412 Patented Feb. 27, 1968 ice when the operator is occupied at a twisting station and cannot at the same time work at another twisting station. The economy of the machine is thus considerably improved.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus or device for two-for-one twisting machines for automatically exchanging bobbin units which comprise a bobbin carrier adapted to receive a feeding bobbin and also comprise a Winding-up sleeve mounted on the bobbin carrier, which device will permit the preparation of the unit independently of the local position of the twisting stations at which an exchange is to be effected.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device as set forth in the preceding paragraph, which can be employed successively at a plurality of twisting stations.

Still another object of this invention consists in the provision of a device as set forth in the preceding paragraphs, which will make it possible, instead of having each machine side provided with at least one exchange unit, to prepare each exchange unit centrally and from this central station to move the unit to the twisting station where an exchange is necessary.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a device as set forth above, which will make it possible to carry out the thread knotting operation at a central station so that the first bobbin unit which requires a knotting operation will be replaced by a bobbin unit which is in condition ready for operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a loading and exchange device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end View of the device according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device according to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a loading and exchange device the magazine of which is detachable from the gripping apparatus.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 3.

The device according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that it comprises a magazine adapted to be moved alongside a two-for-one twisting machine. This magazine is adapted above the spindle plane to receive prepared bobbin units for the twisting operation and is also adapted below the spindle plane to receive exchange bobbin units. The device according to the invention furthermore comprises a gripping apparatus which is movable together with the magazine and is equipped wit-h two grippers adjustable as to height and humble about a vertical axis. One of said grippers is adapted to transport the bobbin units from the spindles of the machine to the magazine and vice versa, whereas the second gripper is adapted to withdraw the winding-up sleeves from the bobbin units and to insert the same into the winding-up device and vice versa.

Due to the fact that it is not necessary to provide each machine side with a bobbin exchanging device but that it is possible to serve a plurality of machines by a single device which is movable alongside the machines, there is created the possibility of moving the exchanging apparatus always to the respective twisting station where an exchange of a bobbin unit is to be effected either because a thread broke or because a feeding bobbin has become empty or because a winding-up bobbin has reached a certain diameter or certain weight. In this connection it is of particular advantage that the exchanging device by means of the magazine places in readiness and can receive a plurality of bobbin units.

According to a further development of the present invention, the magazine may independently of the gripping apparatus be moved in longitudinal and transverse direction and can also be coupled to the gripping apparatus. In this way, it has become possible to employ a plurality of magazines in connection with a single gripping apparatus so that the gripping apparatu can each time move to a machine and to a twisting station together with that magazine which is equipped with such bobbin units as are required for the respective twisting station. More specifically, the magazine according to the invention may comprise a movable vertically arranged column around which there is provided a spiral sliding path for the bobbin units which at the level of the spindle plane comprises a platform for placing into readiness prepared bobbin units while a second platform is provided for the exchanged bobbin units.

Due to the fact that the magazine has a spiral sliding path or track, prepared bobbin units will automatically follow or move into the position of readiness, whereas exchanged bobbin units will on said spiral sliding path automatically move downwardly and will thus leave the platform free for the next exchange operation. The sliding surface of the spiral sliding path may be formed by freely rotating rolling bodies so that already a slight inclination of the sliding path will assure the automatic downward movement of the bobbin units.

According to a further development of the invention, the gripper for the bobbin units i supported by a piston rod the piston of which is displaceable in a cylinder turnable in a horizontal plane, the turning axis being located in the central plane of the column surrounded by the spiral sliding path.

According to a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the gripper may be in the form of an electromagnetic gripper so that the same will be able electromagnetically to grasp the bobbin carrier designed as bobbin pot. This design is particularly simple because in contrast to plier grippers, lever linkage members and the like are superfluous. In conformity with the present invention, the cylinder pertaining to the piston carrying the gripper may be connected to a rotary piston which in its turn is supported by a vertically displaceable piston. While the last mentioned piston permits the upward and downward movement, the rotary piston carries out the turning or tilting operation.

According to the present invention, the gripping apparatus has a piston which is displaceable in vertical direction in a cylinder and the piston rod of which carries at its free end the turnable gripper for the winding-up sleeve. This last mentioned gripper lifts the winding-up sleeve off bobbin carrier with the feeding bobbin and moves it automatically into the winding-up device. Inversely, the said gripper sees to it that the winding-up sleeve in case of an exchange operation is withdrawn from the winding-up device and placed upon the feeding bobbin so that these bobbins can together be grasped by the second gripper and conveyed to the magazine.

According to a further development of the present invention, the gripping apparatus has a housing which receives the lifting cylinders of the grippers, the control valves therefor, and the electric program circuit. Thus, gripper apparatus and control members form a closed unit, and the cooperation of the control valves with the electric program circuit assures that the individual lifting, turning and gripping movements of the individual grippers in the desired sequence can be carried out in one or the other, working direction. The movements of the magazine and gripping apparatus are adapted to becontrolled by impulses conveyed thereto by the spindles of which the bobbin units are ready for exchange. In this .way, it will be assured that the device according to the invention will automatically be moved to the respective twist ng station where an exchange of the bobbin unit is necessary. At the same time, it may automatically be as- 4 sured that the gripping apparatus will from the start be coupled to a magazine which carries the bobbin units to be exchanged at the respective indicated twisting stations.

Referring now to the drawings in detail which show a portion of a two-for-one twisting machine, FIG. 2 shows that portion of the supporting frame 1 which is faced by the spindle and on which there is mounted a hollow spindle rail 2 extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine. The spindle rail 2 has journalled therein the spindle rotor generally designated 3 with the whorl 4. The whorl 4 is adapted to be engaged by the tangential driving belt 5 which in its turn is adapted to be engaged from the other side by a pressing or tensioning roller 6. The interior of the spindle rail is accessible by lifting oll the cover plate 7.

FIG. 2 also show the turntable 8 of the spindle rotor 3 as being located above the spindle rail 2. Freely rotatably journalled in turntable 8 is the bobbin carrier 9 which, however, is normally held stationary relative to the rotating turntable 8 by providing the bobbin carrier 9 with magnets adapted to cooperate with counter magnets outside said bobbin carrier 9. In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, the counter magnets are arranged on the separators 36 respectively located on opposite sides of a spindle (FIGS. 1 and 3). The hollow spindle shank 10 forming a part of the bobbin carrier 9 protrudes from the latter and serves for axially guiding the thread 11 which is being withdrawn from the said bobbin arranged inside the bobbin carrier.

Axially above the spindle hollow shank 10 there is provided a thread guide 12 which is adapted also to take over the function of a thread guard. Further above the hollow spindle shank 10 there is provided the running ahead roller 13. Still further above there is provided the winding-up device generally designated 14, which oomprises the driven friction roller 15 on which the windingup bobbin rests. A winding-up sleeve 16 is-mounted on a freely rotatably journalled mandrel 14a which is journalled on a tiltable arm 17. The arm '17 is tiltable about the pivot 18. The friction roller 15 thus drives the winding-up bobbin resting thereon. Directly in front of the friction roller 15, or winding-up bobbin is the thread guide 19, the traversing rod it) of which is shown in section. Arm 1! comprises two parts. In that part 21 which is connected to the pivot 18, there is turnably mounted the arm end 22 with the bobbin mandrel 14a. In this way there is afforded the possibility of tilting the arm 17 'upwardly into its vertical position shown in full lines, then to turn the arm portion 22 with the winding-up sleeve 16 and the yarn body 23 thereon by 90, and subsequently to move arm 17 into its horizontal position shown in dash lines so that the winding-up sleeve 16 with the yarn body 23 can vertically be withdrawn from the mandrel 14a of arm 17. To this end, the spindle mandrel 56a shown in FIG. 1 can engage the free end of sleeve 16 so as to grasp the same and to withdraw it from mandrel 14a. The turning movements of mandrel 14a are by means of a separate drive of the machine controlled in conformity with the movements of the grippers of the charging and changing device.

As will be evident from the drawings, a carriage 28 is displaceable alongside the machine and rests on the floor while by means of its wheels 25 it is guided in an ap proximately U-shaped rail 26 and able freely to roll on the plane rail 27. The carriage 28 comprises two devices which in distinction from the embodiment shown, may also be arranged in two carriages 28a and 28b (FIG. 4) independently of each other which are adapted to be coupled to each other.

According to FIGS. 1 to 3, the end of carriage 28 supports a bobbin changingdevice having associated therewith a magazine arranged therebehind. This magazine is for the charging of the machine with prepared bobbin carriers 9 and winding-up sleeves 16, and for withdrawing such units in which either the twisting operation has been completed, or in which some disorder occurred, for instance, by the breaking of a thread.

The last mentioned device comprises a vertical narrow column 29 around which extends a roller path or track 39 in the form of a spiral, the construction of which is particularly clearly shown in FIG. 3.

In this figure, the individual rollers are designated with the reference numeral 30a. Around the spiral path 30 extends a low guiding wall 31.

Approximately above the upper surface of the spindle rail 2 (FIG. 2) there is provided a turn of the spiral 30 which at this spot is without incline and forms a platform; moreover, at this spot also the guiding wall .31 is missing. It thus provides a withdrawing opening for horizontal Withdrawal which permits the withdrawal and insertion of two bobbin carriers 9 adjacent to each other. Directly adjacent the end face thereof, there is provided a gripping device which in the embodiment shown is equipped with a magnetic .gripper 35 (FIG. '3). A vertical piston rod 32 which in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown in its moved-in position has connected thereto a hydraulic or pneumatic rotary piston 32a which carries a horizontal cylinder 33 from which a piston 34 is axially moveable outwardly. The free end of piston 34 has mounted thereon the magnetic gripper 35, the gripping surfaces of which have the same curvature as the outer wall of the bobbin carrier 9. The bobbin carrier 9 is equipped with corresponding magnets which may be the same magnets that cooperate with the counter magnets in the separators 36 in order to hold the bobbin carrier 9 stationary with regard to the turntable 8.

FIG. -3 illustrates in solid lines and partly in section, the magnetic gripper 35 with the piston 34 moved into the cylinder 33, whereas the dash lines show the piston in its moved out position. Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows two turned positions of the cylinder 33 or piston '34. When piston 34 by means of its gripper 35 in conformity with its dash line position grasps a bobbin carrier 9, the latter will by movement of piston 34 into the cylinder 33 be displaced toward the axis of the piston rod 32. Thereupon the piston 33 is moved into its turned position 33a, the said bobbin carrier 9 together with the yarn body 23 designated as bobbin unit 62 passes over the roller surface of the spiral 30, and more specifically over that section which permits a downward movement of the bobbin carrier 9 on spiral 30. When this bobbin carrier 9 is disengaged from the gripper 35, cylinder 33 moves into the position 33b. In this position, piston 34 unlocks a barrier 31a which stops the bobbin units 61 (FIG. 1) following from above on spiral 30 so that the bobbin unit 61 which is in its position of readiness moves with the gripper 35 whereas the succeeding bobbin unit 61 is again stopped by the barrier or blocking device 31a. In this way the gripper 35 can grasp a succeeding bobbin carrier 9 of the bobbin unit 61, move the same into the position of the cylinder 33 and place said bobbin carrier into the machine. The withdrawal of a bobbin carrier 9 from the machine is preceded by a lifting movement of the bobbin carrier 9 in order to lift it off the spindle rotor 8. To this end, the piston rod 32 can be moved correspondingly outwardly and, for purposes of inserting a prepared bobbin, carrier 9 is adapted to be moved inwardly.

The control movements are effected by means of an electropneumatic or electrohydraulic control, the essential units of which are shown in FIG. 1. More specifically, the said units comprise a pump 37, whose suction sides 38 and 39 are controlled by electromagnetic valves 41 to 46 which receive and control impulses from a program circuit generally designated 47. Connected to the electromagnetic valves 41 to 46 are in part the piston 34, and in part the piston rod 32, as well as the hydraulic rotary piston 32a on the upper end of piston rod 32 so that all control movements are automatically efiected by means of the program circuit 47 through the succeeding elements in a predetermined sequence. From here also the turning on and turning off of the magnetic gripper 3 5 is effected in a predetermined rhythm. The connecting lines which have not been designated with reference numerals are likewise shown in FIG. 1.

Pump 37, the program control 47, and valves 41 to 46 are mounted in a closed housing 49 at the end face of which there is mounted a cyinder 50. Reciprocably mounted in said cylinder 50 is a piston with a piston rod 51. The said piston is controlled by the electromagnetic valves 52 and 53 in housing 49, the reversal of which is efiected by the program control 47. Valves 52 and 53 have respectively connected thereto, hydraulic conduits 54 and 55 which are adapted to supply actuating fluid to the piston in cylinder 50 to one or the other side thereof. The free end of piston 51 carries the rotary piston 51a with the tiltable gripper 56.

As will be evident from FIG. 1, the bobbin carriers 9 are so prepared and so located on spiral 30, and so grasped by gripper 35 that a winding-up sleeve 16 is vertically placed upon the hollow spindle shank 10 of the bobbin carrier 9. The assembly is designated as bobbin unit 61 or 62.

The thread 11 is threaded. When moving in the bobbin carrier 9, the winding-up sleeve 16 is grasped by the tiltable gripper 56 and is lifted to the level of the windingup device 14. After tilting and lowering the winding-up sleeve 16, the latter is placed upon the winding-up mandrel 14a which is in vertical position, and subsequently the mandrel 14a is tilted into the horizontal position so that the winding-up sleeve 16 Will move into its operative position. The free thread section between the feed bobbin in bobbin carrier 9 and the winding-up sleeve 16 is, in conformity with FIG. 3, grasped by the tiltable yoke 63 and placed into the thread guiding member 12.

Yoke '63 is linked to the free end of rod 64, and by means of said end is connected to the piston rod 65. The piston is in the cylinder 6-6, which latter is in horizontal position connected to the cylinder 50.

If inversely a bobbin carrier 9 is withdrawn from the machine, at the same time the winding-up sleeve 16 pertaining thereto, together with the yarn body 23 is withdrawn from the mandrel 14a by the tiltable yoke 56 and in vertical position is placed upon the hollow shank 10 of the spindle of the bobbin carrier 9 so that such a bobbin unit 62 is moved downwardly on the lower section of the spiral 32. This is clearly shown in FIG. 1 which also shows the driving motor 57 with a transmission 58 whereby at least one of the wheels 25 is driven by shaft 59.

The withdrawal of current for the drive of the vehicle is in conformity with FIG. 2 effected by the current collector 60, While the current conductors extend along the machine frame 1 above the floor. By means of relays and switches (not illustrated) it is possible, for instance, by the thread guard 12 to indicate a thread break and to bring about that the carriage 28 together with the changing device and the prepared bobbin carriers 9 moves to the place of disorder and automatically carries the ex change of the respective bobbin carrier for a new one.

As mentioned above the carriage 28 may be composed of two individual carriages which are displaceable independently of each other but may also selectively be coupled to each other and thus be moved together. This is clearly shown in FIG. 4, according to which carriage 28a carries the spiral-shaped magazine, whereas carriage 28b carries the gripper apparatus. Both carriages 28a and 28b are adapted to be connected to each other by means of coupling members 67 linked to carriage 28a and engaging coupling hooks 68 on carriage 28b. If desired, the coupling and uncoupling of carriages 28a and 28b may be eifected automatically. It will thus be possible to equip a gripping apparatus with a plurality of magazines carrying different bobbins, and these magazines may be held in readiness at certain spots from where they can be moved by the gripping apparatus to the respective twisting place where the bobbin exchanging device is intended to exchange a bobbin unit, the yarn type of which determines the magazine which is to be used.

According to FIG. 4, only carriage 28!) with the gripping apparatus has a drive of its own, namely motor 57 with a transmission 58 adapted to act upon the two driving wheels 25 through the intervention of shaft 29.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no'means, limited to the particular arrangements shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications Within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

. 1. For the automatic exchange of bobbin units of'twofor-one twisting machines with a spindle rail supporting spindles and with winding-up means for winding up twisted yarn from said spindles, an apparatus which includes:

a displaceable magazine having a first section located at a level higher than said spindle rail for receiving prepared bobbin units for supply to said spindles, said magazine also including a second section arranged at a level lower than the level of said spindle rail for receiving exchanged bobbin units, and gripper means displaceable in unison with said magazine and including'a first gripper adjustable as to height and turnable about a vertical axis for transferring bobbin units from said spindles to said magazine and vice versa, said gripper means also including a second gripper adjustable as to height and turnable about a vertical axis and operable to withdraw winding-up sleeves from the respective bobbin units in the magazine and to transfer said winding-up sleeves to said winding-up means,

and vice versa.

- 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said magazine is movable independently of said gripper means in the longitudinal direction of the spindle rail and in a direction transverse thereto, said magazine and said gripper means being adapted selectively to be coupled to each other.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said displaceable magazine comprises a substantially vertical column with a spiral sliding track therearound for bobbin units, said track comprising said first and second magazine sections.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, in which said spiral track comprises freely rotatable roller bodies for rollingly receiving the bobbin units.

5. An apparatus according. to claim 3, which includes a piston rod supporting said first gripper and also includes fluid operable cylinder piston means operatively connected to said piston rod and having one of its elements rotatable in a horizontal plane about an axis located in the central plane of said column.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, in which said gripper forms an electromagnetic gripper.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, which includes a rotary piston connected to the cylinder of said cylinder piston means and which also includes a vertically displaceable piston operatively connected to said rotary piston.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, which includes vertically movable means forming part of a fluid operable cylinder piston unit and carrying said second gripper.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, which includes a rotary piston mounted on and reciprocable by said fluid operable cylinder pistonv unit and carrying said second gripper.

10. An apparatus according to claim '8, Which'includes spreadable mandrel means forming part of said second gripper and adapted to enter one end of a Winding-up sleeve.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, which includes a housing, fluid operable cylinder piston means operativ'ely connected to said gripper means, control means for controlling operation of said gripper means, and electric program circuit means for controlling said control means, said fluid operable cylinder piston means and said cone trol means as well as said electric program circuit means being enclosed in said housing.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, which includes impulse producing means operable by said spindles in conformity with selected conditions thereof for controlling the movements of said displaceable magazine.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,076,434 4/1937 Anderson 57-52 3,316,698 5/1967 Franzen 57-53 JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner. 

1. FOR THE AUTOMATIC EXCHANGE OF BOBBIN UNITS OF TWOFOR-ONE TWISTING MACHINES WITH A SPINDLE RAIL SUPPORTING SPINDLES AND WITH WINDING-UP MEANS FOR WINDING UP TWISTED YARN FROM SAID SPINDLES, AN APPARATUS WHICH INCLUDES: A DISPLACEABLE MAGAZINE HAVING A FIRST SECTION LOCATED AT A LEVEL HIGHER THAN SAID SPINDLE RAIL FOR RECEIVING PREPARED BOBBIN UNITS FOR SUPPLY TO SAID SPINDLES, SAID MAGAZINE ALSO INCLUDING A SECOND SECTION ARRANGED AT A LEVEL LOWER THAN THE LEVEL OF SAID SPINDLE RAIL FOR RECEIVING EXCHANGED BOBBIN UNITS, AND GRIPPER MEANS DISPLACEABLE IN UNISON WITH SAID MAGAZINE AND INCLUDING A FIRST GRIPPER ADJUSTABLE 